1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protector, and more particularly to a protector having a positioning holder, for a corrugated tube attaching a group of electric wires from outside, capable of attaching the corrugated tube where different in diameter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wire harness on an automobile, a group of wire lines are penetrated through a protector, formed by a resin mold product, in a required wire-laid region in order for route regulation and improved protection of significant lines. In the protector, a group of electric wires of a wire harness are passed through a protector body and then covered with a lid to close an upper opening of the protector body, thus effecting joining those together by locking.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the case of armoring a group of electric wires inserted in a protector 1 with a corrugated tube having alternate ridge portions and trough portions continuing lengthwise or in the case of armoring an electric wire drawn from the protector with a corrugated tube and holding the corrugated tube at its one end in position in the protector, those are provided by joining together a protector body 2 having a Semi-annular portion for armoring the corrugated tube and a lid 3 by a thin-walled hinge 4. Ribs 2a, 3a circumferentially extending are provided projecting in the inner peripheral surface of the protector body 2 and lid 3. After the rib 2a of the protector body 2 is fit in the trough portion in the corrugated tube lower half, the lid 3 is rotated toward the protector body 2 about the thin-walled hinge 4. The rib 3a of the lid 3 is fit in the trough portion of the corrugated tube upper half, thereby fixing the corrugated tube in position in the protector 1.
However, with the protector 1 as above, the corrugated tubes, to be fit and engaged with the ribs 2a, 3a provided in the protector body 2 and lid 3, are limited to those corrugated tubes having a predetermined diameter. Accordingly, because a different diameter of corrugated tube cannot be fixed in position, there is a problem that the protector 1 must be made matched to a corrugated tube diameter.
Particularly, in the case of a protector 1 integrally molded that the protector body 2 and the lid 3 are joined together by a thin-walled hinge 4, the entire protector 1 must be fabricated correspondingly to a corrugated tube diameter thus raising a problem of cost increase.
Therefore, inventors have provided a protector 1′ shown in FIG. 7, in JP-A-8-168136. In the protector 1′, a protector body 2′ and a lid 3′ are made separate. The protector body 2′ and lid 3′, at its inner peripheral surface, is provided with ribs 2a′, 3a′ circumferentially projecting for fit in a trough portion 5a of the corrugated tube 5′. The rib 3a′ of the lid 3′ has a height changed correspondingly to a diameter of a corrugated tube 5′ to be inserted in the protector 1′. When the corrugated tube 5′ has a large diameter, the rib 3a′ is made smaller in height. Meanwhile, when the corrugated tube 5′ has a smaller diameter, the rib 3a′ is made larger in height. Thus, positioning is made possible for the different diameters of corrugated tubes 5′. Accordingly, even where the corrugated tube 5′ has a different diameter, the protector body 2′ can be used commonly. This satisfactorily requires to form the lid 3′ correspondingly to a corrugated tube 5′ diameter, making it possible to reduce the cost.
However, with the protector 1′ provided in JP-A-8-168136, when the corrugated tube 5′ to be inserted in the protector 1′ smaller in diameter, the rib 3′a projecting in the lid 3′ is made higher and hence easier to deform. Thus, there is a problem that the rib 3′a is not easy to fit in a trough portion 5a′ of the corrugated tube 5′.
Meanwhile, the lid 3′ is equal in outer diameter regardless of the diameter of the corrugated tube 5′ to be inserted in the protector 1′, raising a problem that the protector 1′ is made greater in outer shape even where the corrugated tube 5′ is smaller in diameter.
Furthermore, inventors have provided a protector 1″ shown in FIG. 8, in JP-A-8-182146. The protector 1″ has a protector body 2″ and a lid 3″ separately. A lib 2a″ similar to the foregoing is provided in the protector body 2″ while a through-hole 3b″ is provided in the lid in a position opposed to the rib 2a″. By engaging a retainer 6″ having a rib 6a″ in the through-hole 3b″, the rib 6a″ is fit in a trough portion 5a″ of a corrugated tube 5″ into a fixation in position. The retainer 6″ has a rib height corresponding to the diameter of the corrugated tube 5″ inserted in the protector 1″. By providing retainers 6 in plural kinds, the retainers 6″ corresponding to the diameter of the corrugated tube 5″ are structurally engaged in the through-hole 3b″ of the lid 3″.
However, even with the protector 1″ provided in JP-A-8-182146, there is a problem that the rib 6a″ deforms to make it not easy to fit in the trough portion 5a″ of the corrugated tube 5″ and the protector 1″ is increased in its exterior shape. Furthermore, there is another problem of increased number of components because of attaching the retainer 6″ as a separate member.